TBC introduces… Takeda
We wanted to start by asking about the origins of the band, as Takeda seems either to have been around for a long while, or to have started in 2022. Can you tell us a bit about the name and how this incarnation of the band relates to the first?
Takeda has been my musical project since I was about 15. It’s gone through so many different versions, iterations, lineups, and concepts in that period.
The name itself actually comes from a video game I used to play. I’ve always liked the bands that have slightly ambiguous names - names that leave a lot up to the imagination. There’s a deeper meaning to it for me, but I like to think that for people listening to our music, it can have some kind of personal meaning for them, too.
There’s no way of avoiding a question about you having grown up in a deeply conservative religious group in rural England, which you left to set up the band. If it isn’t too personal, can you tell us a bit about that?
Growing up in that environment cultivated a very strong sense of longing in me. I think it instilled a pretty deep motivation to make the music that I always wanted to make.
We love the track “Sugar Mountain”, which presumably refers back to the Neil Young song of the same name. We’ve read that the song is about the transience of time, and possibly the idea of making up for lost time. Is it reflective of Josh’s experiences?
Yeah, it certainly does. The track itself is about realising how much time has slipped through your fingers. It’s also about the end of the world, and how that doesn’t necessarily need to be the end of the real world; it can just be the end of your personal world or a part of your life that comes to an abrupt end and feels like Armageddon.
We’re excited to hear your new album, In Venus’ Train. When does it come out, and what kind of themes does it explore?
The album’s out this Wednesday 17 September, so we’ll be bringing lots of copies on vinyl with us on Thursday. It will be the first place you’ll be able to buy them from us physically, so that’s exciting.
In terms of themes from the album, I like to think of people listening and digging and digging to find their own meaning in a lot of these tracks.
For me personally, there’s a lot of stuff that comes from my personal experience over the last few years - changes in my own life, my beliefs, and the biggest of these themes is really the struggle. I’ve transitioned from a sense that I might live forever, to realisation that I’m definitely going to die, so kind of coming to terms with mortality.
Your music has been described as “grunge folk” and, by every reviewer, as a combination of any two artists - one of which is loud and scuzzy (like Soundgarden, or Neil Young’s Crazy Horse) and one of which is soft and gentle (like Big Thief, or even Nick Drake). Is that duality a deliberate part of your sound, and how do you think of the music yourselves?
It’s been really interesting to read those comparisons, especially the Neil Young and Soundgarden one, as they are probably two of my favourite artists of all time!
I think it just comes from my taste in music. I’ve always liked folk music, especially the British folk revival artists like Fairport Convention and Davey Graham, and I’ve also always loved rock music like Tool and Smashing Pumpkins. I think as a band we find it fun to explore those extremes and combine them in a way that just feels right - we try not to overthink it too much.
We’ve had some great bands from Norwich playing here, like Brown Horse, The Rabbitts, Murmurations, and Eliza Delf & The Wilderness are coming up soon as well. Can you tell us a bit about the city’s music scene?
Norwich is an amazing place for music. We have so many great artists. It’s a real hidden gem, and we’re hoping that soon there will be a bit of exposure for them all.
There are also lots of really amazing grassroots promoters who are trying really hard to support young musicians and doing an amazing job, like Annie at Pica Pica.
With the album coming out soon, is your upcoming show part of a run of gigs?
The Bear Club is the first night of a little mini tour for the release of this album. It will be our first tour as a four-piece, and we’re going to be playing the album in full, so it’s going to be a bit of a learning process for us, and we’re really excited to get out on the road and play a little bit out of our comfort zone.
Can you give us a favourite album from each member of the band?
Josh: Liege & Lief by Fairport Convention
Charlie: Led Zeppelin II
David: A Deeper Understanding by War on Drugs
If you could pick a band or artist to time-travel back to see at their peak, who and where and when would it be?
Josh: Davy Graham in London, 1965
Charlie: Jacobs Mouse, Bury St Edmunds, 90s
David: Jeff Buckley at Sin-e
What can we expect from your show at The Bear?
You can expect to be surprised, a pretty intense performance, an emotional rollercoaster. We can’t wait!
Takeda joins us on Thursday 18 September 2025